I’ve had this conversation over text a couple of times… so I figured I’d write
it down more formally. I’m not a hardcore “EDC” guy, nor am I a true one-bag
world traveler… I’m somewhere in between.

The Mission

My mission has changed since I started all this. There were a couple of phases,
but they inform what’s in my bag as I realized what I lacked:

College. I commuted an hour to school, and frequently spent the night in
town. I had an overnight duffel in my car with a couple of changes of
clothes, and a Timbuk2 Commuter 2.0 for textbooks and laptop. Towards my
senior year, I sent my Timbuk2 back for an RMA, and while using a temp
backpack realized how much better my back felt.

Early work. I graduated, and had four bags in my car at all times… one for
work, one for overnight, one with workout/climbing gear, and one for Just In
Case™. Right before I graduated, my family had experienced (along with
most of Alabama) being in the middle of a couple
tornadoes. We were
fine praise the Lord, but I realized the value of having a few things with
me at all times.

One bag. I started to realize I over packed, and was tired of lugging stuff
in and out of my car each day so it wasn’t stolen. During a mild snowstorm,
I realized it was horrible to travel on foot with three bags you can’t leave
in the car. I also got my luggage misplaced on a trip to NZ, and realized
how freeing it was to only have a little. I started reading and learning
about people who lived out of one bag… and finally I got a bag that could
support this lifestyle.

I currently commute a very short distance by car.

The Bag

I eventually purchased an OG Goruck GR1. I knew of the company in college, and
admired the bag’s design, but was unwilling to pay the price. As a result, I
slowly made my way through the following bags (I’m actually skipping some):

Timbuk2 Commuter

Not a backpack. Surprisingly big, but as I packed too much it hurt my back.

BFG Jedburgh

Great little bag. I thought it’d be a cheaper GR1, but it was pretty bulky,
stiff, uncomfortable and lacked internal admin abilities.

Grey Ghost Operator Pack

Great daypack. Not big enough for a onebag and no laptop slot. I was using this
as the emergency bag, but it was pretty large for that.

Grey Ghost Steath Operator

Great daypack. Slim and packed well. Not good for onebag, but lovely hiking
bag.

Vertx Gamut Plus

Too big. Too much organization. Looked like I was wearing a parachute. I
didn’t have this bag long, I almost forgot about it.

Topo Designs Klettersack 32

This is the first bag I was able to live out of. Large enough to pack
overnight, workout, EDC, and some needful just in case stuff. I loved the
look of this bag, but a top-loader like this is a pain to get in and out of
all day long… I would wind up unpacking the whole thing just to grab a
charger.

Eventually a friend bought a GR1. I got to handle it, walked back to my desk
and ordered one in December 2014. I haven’t regretted it since. I carry it
every day, I work out with it, I travel with it… the internet is full of raving
reviews of this bag, and I won’t try to add to them… but here are some pics of
my ruck on adventures.

I started to go through my library to find specific epic photos… but the list
got too long. Since I bought it 4 years ago, the GR1 has been with me on every
vacation, every work trip, every weekend adventure. I’ve gone one two trips to
Europe for at least a week, countless beach/mountain trips, I packed for the
hospital stay for my daughter’s birth… I think I’ve got my money’s worth.

Organization

I’ll keep daily stuff like keys, sunglasses, and lip balm in the internal admin
pocket. It tends to become quite messy, so I try to keep it clear.

The GR1 has a few major pockets, but most of your organization will come from
internal packers. I’m going to separate these out by purpose.

Mission

I have been a software developer, and am presently working as a UX Designer. My
daily mission of making money requires a few tools:

Laptop

Sits in the laptop compartment of my GR1. If for some reason I need two
laptops, the document slot/holder on the inside can work in a pinch.

I love this little thing. Most days, all I have to do to know I’m ready for
work is have my Wire Dopp and my Laptop. If I’m going on an outdoor adventure
and am leaving my tech behind… I yank the laptop and the dopp and my bag is
ready to go.

Always:

Laptop Charger

Lacie Rugged with photography library

USB Drive

Dongles

Laptop Cleaning Screen

Maybe:

Camera Charger

Extra Battery for Camera

Camera

Sometimes when working photography, I’ll use karabiners to dangle a F-Stop
ICU from the top of the
bag. That way I can unzip the first half of the clamshell, access the gear, and
close it up. In that Small Shallow ICU I can carry an Xpro-2, 4 lenses, and
gear.

Notebook and Pens

I’ll stick the notebook in the front document slot of the Goruck with a
Nock.co pen case (it’s surprisingly
hard to find a minimal pen case that doesn’t store 50 pens!) holding a pen, an
extra, and a little brass ruler I picked up on Amazon. It’s there because once
upon a time a water bottle leaked in my backpack and ruined a notebook. It
hasn’t happened since, but that’s still where I stick my notebook. I’m thinking
about moving the Wire Dopp out there, since it’s more often that I’m pulling
that out first when I arrive a location… but tradition is hard to break.

I’ll often also have my Kindle Paperwhite riding up front with the notebook.

Headphones

In prior years, I would carry a pair of
ATH-M50s
back and forth. I currently just have a pair stashed at work and one at home.
:P

Up till a few months ago, I carried my newest pair of Apple headphones… handy
for podcasts, working out, calls, or just signalling that you are focusing in a
coffeeshop. I now have a pair of AirPods, which are very nice. I have a ghetto
Alfred 2 workflow for quickly switching them to my mac from my iPhone, I wish
that was more seamless.

If I was going to buy new headphones, I would consult Marco Arment’s
incredible super-review of either
bluetooth or closed
ear headphones.

External Battery

I currently have an external battery for phones in small case with cables for
phones and kindle.

Water

One common criticism of the Goruck GR1 is the lack of an external water bottle
pouch. When I know I’m going to be jaunting around and will want water/coffee,
I’ll typically either bring a standard Nalgene or Yeti Rambler
18. Whatever I
bring, it’s going to be hard-sided, with a solid screw down lid with an
o-ring and a handle that supports a karabiner. I once had a with a d-ring
closure burst in the bag and ruin a precious journal.

When I place a bottle inside the bag, I will always karabiner the lid to the
top of the bag so that it hangs down vertically… this should lower the chance
of seepage dramatically.

As to quick access outside the bag for a walking commute… I have an ITW
Grimloc on the shoulder
strap. It works great for attaching water bottles to the front, which is more
convenient for quick coffee access on the subway.

On days when I don’t have room or don’t think I need a water bottle, I have a
Vapur Eclipse Anti-Bottle
stashed in the Just In Case of my GR1. It’s come in handy on days when I
suddenly find myself on my way to a hike after work, or for filling up with
water after passing security in the airport.

Shelter

EDC

I live in Alabama, and I drive to work every day. Most seasons, the worst
conditions I face are a quick 200 ft of downpour between my car and the office.

Always in my bag: My trusty Outdoor Research Helium II.
It packs really well, sheds rain like a duck, and has a single pocket for my
phone. It’s small enough that I can always have it with me… sometimes on
quick jaunts I’ll clip it to the MountainSmith Camera bag.

The rain shell fits well over my optional Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer
I love this jacket. Once again, very minimal as when I bought both these
jackets I was trying to figure out the smallest packing system that can handle
Alabama’s coldest weather and nastiest rain.

I’ve hiked, climbed, hunted, and run in this gear, and while expensive I’ve
been really happy with it.

I also count sunglasses as shelter, so I have a pair of Raybans riding in the
mesh pocket.

Overnight/Workout

If I’m packing for a few days, I will pack in my trusty Eagle Creek Specter
Compression Cube set
and Arcteryx Index Folder (sadly discontinued!) The compression zipper feature
is super helpful for packing several days of clothes in 32L of bag.

I’ll also use the Eagle Creek Specter Quick Trip
just works as a bathroom organizer in my drawer until it’s time to travel, and
I’ll throw it entire in the bag.

Of course, packing in a minimal bag is not possible without a minimal wardrobe.
There are many blog posts about what clothing brands to buy, etc. My advice?
Don’t overthink it. Bring less than you need and wash on the way. Good
underwear and good socks go a long way.

Here’s a sample packing list for a 12 day trip to Paris:

Worn:

Mountain khaki pants

T shirt

Button up shirt

Blazer

Boots

Socks

Underwear

Packed:

1 jeans

1 shorts

1 sweatshirt

1 Myles running shorts/swimsuit

5 t-shirts

4 underwear

3 pairs of socks

Allbirds runners

gear

I also really like my xero
sandals… I workout in them, run
in them, hit the beach in them, walk between bouldering problems, jaunt around
the hotel in them… great use of space in my bag.

Fire and Other Niceities

While my main purpose for my bag’s contents is making code to help students
succeed, a secondary purpose is still being able to handle Just In Case™
situations.

I typically have a small bag in my EDC that contains a variety of Just In
Case™ tools and gadgets. In the past, it’s been in a variety of neat
organizers, my favorites being the GR1 Field
Pocket and the HPG Tool
Roll. The Field
Pocket is nicely repurposable and less obvious if you have “odd” objects in it,
while the HPG Tool Roll is lighter weight and has the awesome roll out and use
ability.

Having all the “dangerous” stuff in one bag means that making my bag “TSA
ready” is as simple as pulling out one organizer out of the bag and I’m ready
for the airport.

Random Other Stuff

These are awesome. Useful for lots of things, reusable, labelable… very
handy. I have a couple that I’ll pull in for things like food, baby wipes,
documents I don’t want to get wet… think of them as a rugged reusable
sandwhich bag, and I’m sure you’ll find good uses. They work quite well as bags
for cables and small electronics, because of their heft they hold their shape
and stay slim which is great for packing.

HPG Tool Roll

I know I mentioned this before, but it’s a great piece of gear. I store tools
and gear that I only need every once in a while, but the ability to lay out all
my tools out to fix a bike or build a fire is just wonderful.

Planck Light

Once upon a time, I used to take a KBC Poker II back and forth to work as a
main keyboard, but now I’m playing with this uber minimal keyboard. It’s quite
fun, and rides with me most of the time, but it’s not required. I have other
keyboards at work, and don’t work
from a coffeeshop that often these days.

Razer Orochi

Another discontinued gem.This was the best mobile mouse I’ve ever seen, with
bluetooth and wired support in a nice little portable package. Back in my
college days of laddering SC2, this was always with me, but now it’s handy for
long days of design or editing.

Diaper Bag

I’ll throw my daughter’s changing mat wipes/diaper combo in there for outings.
I’ve thought of making a more robust system out of a maxpedition medical bag,
including some contractor bags for waste disposal… but later I suppose.

Rucking as a workout

I’ve taken up hiking as a hobby, it’s a fun cardio that’s not as hard on my
knees. I actually completed my first Goruck Light recently, and so that’s the
patch currently proudly displayed on the front of my bag.

I’ve got the 20lb and 30lb weights, sometimes I’ll bring them in the bag in the
laptop slot when traveling as a little extra workout.

Problems

None whatsoever, can’t you tell I have it all together? Seriously though, it’s
not perfect for a few reasons:

The GR1 isn’t expandable.

Constraints are a good design inspiration, and working 99% of my trips
completely in one bag has encouraged me to bring a little less and live a
little more. However, for longer trips or when carrying camera gear or caring
for family… it’d be nice to have 10 more liters. cough I can’t afford a
GR2, cough.

I haven’t seen a good way to expand the volume of a GR1. For extended trips,
I’ll typically take a small duffel or day bag as a “personal item” and put some
of the stuff I’ll want on the plane in there like cameras and kindles, or extra
shoes. I have been using Bomber
Duffle,
but I’ve burned through five of them, three of which disentegrated within
five minutes of me trying to zip them up.

The GR1 is too expensive.

Goruck recently hiked up their prices dramatically. When I bought my GR1, it
was a really good purchase, but with the price increase it’s a harder sell. If
I was buying an EDC today, I’d probably take a look at offerings from
Evergoods, PDW, and my
favorite Hill People Gear.

Conclusions

To pack minimally, don’t buy more bag, own less stuff.

Use modular lightweight organizers based on function to make your bag more
universal.